Ekere loses local govt as INEC cancels elections in his ward

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Obong Nsima Ekere has lost his local government, Ikot Abasi to his opponent, Governor Udom Emmanuel of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Emmanuel scored a total of 9,335 votes to beat Ekere who polled 7,549 out of 17,469 total votes cast in the election.

The collation officer for Ikot Abasi, Dr. Edwin Nssien disclosed that elections in Unit 004,Ward 1 in Edemaya clan which is Ekere’s polling unit was cancelled.

Elections were also cancelled in three other wards 2, 3 and 4 all in Edemaya clan.

Read Also: INEC shocks politicians with late swap of Collation Officers in Imo

Dr. Nssien attributed the cancellation to electoral malpractices including hijack of election materials.

However, the APC agent for the governorship election, Archbishop Samuel Akpan rejected the result announced saying it does not a true reflection of the exercise which took place in Ikot Abasi on Saturday.

Akpan also accused the collation officer for Ikot Abasi, Dr. Edwin Nssien of being a card carrying member of the PDP on a mission to work for the success of the PDP in Ekere’s local government.